Update May 17, 2010 - Edweek - Via Associated Press
Update May 16, 2010 - ReHired! CNN Reports Here: "Rhode Island School Reaches Deal To Rehire Teachers, Union Says"
Update 3/15/10 - link here
Update 3/12/10 - link here
With Head Of Teacher Union Randi Weingarten
Due to the inability to come to agreement with the teachers union, the school board voted last night and approved a plan to dismiss the entire faculty and staff at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island.
Central Falls, located in a high poverty district, in is an underperforming school with 50% of students failing to complete high school, dropping out between 9th and 12th grades.
A recent debate (before the final vote last night) between American Federation of Teacher Head, Randi Weingarten vs. Steve Perry, CNN education reporter, on Anderson Cooper's show 360 on CNN, illustrated a few key points of the stalemate. One of issues of contention was the demand by the union for higher pay - - over the minimum $72,000 yearly salary teachers are receiving here -- to spend extra time with the kids beyond the contract stipulations. Math proficiency is quoted at 7% of students with about 10% school proficiency in Math and English.
According to Perry's report, there is no money in the till and with the extreme under-performance of the school, the demand for more money from the union was inappropriate. He continued to wager that "40% of the teachers didn't agree with the union leadership."
Is one of the real issues here a disconnect between what teachers want/expect and what the union's collective bargaining demand?
What's your riff on this?
Story link today in NYTimes here.
Check out videos below. First clip is CNN; the second is CBS.
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CJ Westerberg
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Judith
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vew


